Phoenix was confused.
Externally he was a ray of light in the law office. A promising young attorney with almost a perfect record. Although his methods were unconventional, he seemed at the prime of his time.
But internally Phoenix was confused.
When wandering around his office of Wright & Co., there was only one thing that seemed to occupy every space, every corner, and every aspect of his newfound career.
Namely that thing was a person.
Maya Fey was his self-proclaimed assistant and apparently best friend. Overtime, they experienced trials that not many others could admit to having. Maya was constantly on the line somehow. And yet Phoenix was there every step of the way.
He couldn't help himself. He really absolutely could not help it. Anywhere that Maya went; everything that she did... he was a few steps behind to watch her if she fell. It became almost a habit, something he had become accustomed to. It was normal to pray for the best and fear for the worst when it came to Maya Fey.
But even so, Phoenix didn't mind.
He cared for the young woman on a level he didn't fully understand. A surge in his heart when she was near always told him that it was the purity of honest friendship that made him stick around. She was fun, she was different, she was strong, and a complete unique individual in every way.
But it was that level of non-understanding that befuddled the poor lawyer the most. He always saw it as love on a friendship or familial level. It always came so naturally to him to think of it that way. And he was content to think that way because he'd hate for anything to ruin the perfect situation he had with the spirit medium.
"Hey Nick, I read this article once that if someone asks you for a favor, and you do it, it means you unconsciously like them! Isn't that cool?"
"Then I must sure be in love with you, huh?"
(Ack! Why did I say that? Thank goodness Pearls isn't around, he would think while managing to keep the straightest face imaginable.)
He knew, even without the prodding and the hinting and the embarrassing jokes at his expense that he cared very deeply for Maya.
What that meant, however, was still something Phoenix sought to ignore for as long as he deemed necessary.
It didn't seem crucial to figure it out anytime soon anyway. He had Maya with him now and he was happy in just that.
Though sometimes they would sit a little too close on the couch in his office. Nick wouldn't move and neither would she.
Eventually Phoenix would slump subtly and slowly, his head barely resting on the tiny medium's hair.
Even then, she wouldn't move away. He would grin triumphantly and exhaustion would take over.
(But Phoenix would always awaken with a small blanket draped over him.)
When Phoenix was sure he saw Maya merely as his assistant and best friend, he was especially perplexed when he found himself always seeking her out. If he had something in mind to say, he'd look up expectantly only to discover that Maya was nowhere to be seen.
If he had something funny to quip, he'd also look up. If something was puzzling, again, by reflex, he'd look up, "Hey-!" But the room was still mysteriously empty.
Her absence left a discomfort in Phoenix but he merely returned to his work. He knew she had to return eventually. Where else was she to go?
She'd appear hours later, weary from her journey, and clutching a small box.
"Maya! Where were you all day?"
She was panting, "I - ran out - of money to catch the bus!" Maya heaved a tired sigh and slung the tiny package onto Nick's desk.
Phoenix looked up questionably, "What's this?" He was almost afraid to find out.
"Open it, silly!" She ran her hand across her sweating forehead, retreating momentarily to find a towel.
Phoenix raised an eyebrow but looked down at the plain parcel. It was a little smashed in at the corners. He carefully peeled at the tape.
When he anxiously lifted up the cover, he was surprised to see it was a tiny cake. The frosting was white and creamy, a delicate design of a ladder was slightly smeared across it. A ladder or step-ladder? He mused.
The spirit medium returned from the other room with a couple plastic forks clutched in her palm.
"Maya...what is this for? Where did you get it?" Nick didn't think there were any holidays or events he was missing.
"Gaaaah, Nick," Maya sighed, "can't I just do something nice for my friend?"
Phoenix blinked. "Nice? For me?" He laughed lightly.
"Hey! This little thing was a lot more expensive than it looks!" She plopped down in a seat she pulled over to his desk. "You seemed really overworked lately and I thought you could use a little..." she scooped up a forkful of frosting, "Step-me-up!" Maya smiled gleefully.
Phoenix groaned at the incoherent joke but couldn't help a grin spreading across his face. Cake still did sound rather appealing. He sat down and accepted his fork gratefully, scooping up his own piece.
It was nice, he thought. To sit with her like this, joking over a meal of cake. Simplistic, un-complicated fun. They talked through mouthfuls of dough and frosting. Maya occasionally spraying cake bits all over the table in laughter. Nick would recoil in disgust but join in anyway.
He didn't need some crazy adventure or lavish outing in order to be happy.
Since he was usually alone, if he had just Maya as company, Phoenix was perfectly content.
("Next time, let me know when you decide to go out! I could've given you money, you know?"
"Yes, yes, like you always do anyway, huh?")
Sometimes Phoenix would find Maya looking contemplative and a bit sad. He'd always question his assistant, not accustomed to seeing such an expression on her face. It bothered him considerably to see Maya upset.
"Nick..." she'd begin quietly, "Why does everyone I love... end up..." She paused in her thought, not ready to say what she wanted to.
Maya reached out quivering fingers and tugged Phoenix's arm lightly. "Don't disappear on me, okay?"
Her grin betrayed her glimmering eyes and Phoenix could only smile sadly in response.
("Never...")
But only days later Maya would be right back to patting his head jokingly like a dog.
"Nick! You're really hot!"
"W-What?!" Phoenix's face turning bright scarlet.
"I mean, you're burning up! Must've been from the rain..." She trailed off, leaving the room as she mumbled.
She came back in with a steaming cup of tea. "Tsk, tsk..." Maya placed the mug gingerly on his desk. A waft of steam billowing around her gleaming cheeks. "Careful now- it's hot... like you!" She giggled playfully into her hand.
(Nick's face became ten shades darker and he wasn't sure if it was because of his fever.)
At one point, Maya and Pearl convinced Phoenix to visit Iris at the detention center. He was hesitant originally but not wanted to completely turn down their demands, he conceded.
It was extremely awkward at first and Phoenix thought of sprinting out the door on more than one occasion. But it was what the two spirit mediums encouraged so he went along with it.
Surprisingly, Phoenix grew more comfortable speaking with Iris at a considerably faster pace than he expected. Looking at her was difficult, sure, but when he looked past her initial appearance, he could see that inside, she was not Dahlia, but the Iris he had always known once before.
He decided he should visit often in order to keep that level of comfort up and also to grant the poor girl the company anyone in her situation would crave. Sometimes Maya and Pearl also came along.
Strangely enough, however, was how often Maya excused herself from the room. Phoenix always figured she'd want to stick around herself to get to know her supposed cousin. But slowly, and surely, Phoenix noticed Maya start to back out of the room without warning.
"Where are you headed?"
"Ah! Er, bathroom!" Or it would be, "I forgot something important at home!" Or, "Pearly and I want to grab a bite to eat real quick!"
Phoenix didn't question it. He figured she had her reasons not to be comfortable around the 'Dahlia look-a-like.'
He himself began to enjoy the visits anyway and was glad Maya had suggested it in the first place.
("Is she okay? She looked rather glum. Is it because of me?"
"No, no, Iris, it's nothing like that!")
Unexpectantly, Pearl turned out to be the cruelest culprit sometimes. Even after all of her scolding and slapping, Pearl still managed to dish out the most embarrassing admissions regarding Nick and his 'special someone.'
"Mr. Nick," said a quiet voice.
Phoenix put down a pen and peered over his cluttered desk."Yes, Pearls?"
"Can I ask you something?" She chewed thoughtfully on her thumbnail.
"Sure, anything. What's up?"
"What if Mystic Maya turned out... not to be your 'special someone'?" Pearl looked to be on the verge of gentle tears.
"H-huh?" Phoenix reared back in surprise, the question catching him completely off guard. He had no idea how to respond in order to neither upset nor encourage the young girl.
"Why..." Nick gulped audibly, "...do you ask?"
"Well," the spirit medium shifted back and forth on her toes, hands clasped behind her back. She was hesitant to say what she needed to. Her eyes looked at Phoenix's face but fell immediately back to the floor. "Well..." she repeated.
"Well?"
Pearl mumbled something towards the floor.
"What was that?" Phoenix questioned. He wasn't sure if he'd like where this was headed.
Suddenly Pearl's head snapped up, angry tears threatening to burst out of her eyes, "Mystic Maya was with another man!" She fell into teary sobs.
Nick's eyes widened and he stood immediately to comfort the crying girl. He rubbed her back calmly.
His mind had yet to process what she had just said.
"Mr. Nick! I saw her! She was buying us food and while I waited outside, I looked through the window and..." her face looked scandalized, "she was talking with a man I had never seen before! And they were laughing and smiling and he had his hand... and oh, Mr. Nick!" Pearl's sobs increased ten-fold as she fell against the befuddled lawyer.
Phoenix's chest tightened for a moment. At the fact that a child was crying in front of him, of course. No other reason.
He held her as comfortably as possible, "It's okay, Pearls... why does this bother you so badly?" Nick offered a goofy smile.
"How can you be so carefree!" Pearl relinquished her grip on the crouching man and immediately gave him a sharp slap. "Your beautiful Mystic Maya was with someone else! Doesn't this hurt you at all?"
"Pearls..." he rubbed his reddening cheek, "Maya is free to be with whoever she likes... even if that person... isn't me."
Phoenix wasn't sure what he was saying but it was the best he could contribute. He knew Pearl wouldn't like it but he couldn't stop the words. He felt sore and numb, his mouth moving of its own accord.
Phoenix felt suddenly strangely uncomfortable and he quickly tugged at his tightening collar.
"Besides..." Phoenix continued, "this was just some random guy, right?"
Pearl nodded. "But he seemed so familiar with Mystic Maya... he had his hand on her... her waist!" She whacked her own side for emphasis.
Nick swallowed an unforgiving lump in his throat. He didn't like this development at all. It wasn't because he was jealous but more because he was concerned for Maya's safety. If it was as Pearl's described, or even not, this could be some potentially dangerous guy hitting on his assistant.
Nick scratched the back of his head. "Maybe they were old friends?" He offered pathetically. Phoenix sighed tiredly unsure of his own reaction to the odd news. "Like I said though... many times before, Pearls... Maya and I aren't," Nick coughed, "...how you imagine us."
Pearl's tears were beginning to subside but she shook her head brokenly. Phoenix was hoping she would understand but he could tell that this conversation was far from over. However, he finally noticed that Pearls had come home alone.
"Is Maya still there now?" Phoenix said while standing up. There was an urgency in his tone.
Pearl immediately brightened up, "Yes! She is still at that burger restaurant down the road!"
Nick strode towards the door, straightening his tie. "I'll be right back. I just need to check on something..."
"Yes, Mr. Nick! Go claim your 'special someone' back!" Her eyes filled with hope.
"Er, no, Pearls!" Was all he could say before he swept himself through the closing office door.
His concern was mounting as he recounted the previous week's events of Maya's uncontrollable crying. She had made herself rather scarce since then and hearing about a potential threat was no comforting thought.
He skipped down the stairs, two at a time.
AN: Thank you everyone for the reviews though scarce they may be! Any little bit of commentary is extremely encouraging and helpful! Writing this story is fun and I hope everyone who reads also enjoys the feelings I am attempting to portray. It's ironic, huh? And sad how two people could be close and yet feel so differently about two of the same things. The tiniest of events could tear people apart too. Ah, just thinking out loud... haha
Please review!